Rivian Automotive, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:RIVN) Shares Not Telling The Full Story

With a price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 4.2x Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all the Auto companies in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 5.3x and even P/S higher than 11x are not unusual. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Check out our latest analysis for Rivian Automotive

What Does Rivian Automotive's Recent Performance Look Like?

With revenue growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Rivian Automotive has been doing relatively well. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to dive, which has kept the P/S suppressed. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Rivian Automotive will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/S?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as low as Rivian Automotive's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company's revenues underwent some rampant growth over the last 12 months. Although, its longer-term performance hasn't been anywhere near as strong with three-year revenue growth being relatively non-existent overall. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 55% each year during the coming three years according to the analysts following the company. With the industry only predicted to deliver 31% per annum, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.

With this information, we find it odd that Rivian Automotive is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting significantly lower selling prices.

What We Can Learn From Rivian Automotive's P/S?

It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

A look at Rivian Automotive's revenues reveals that, despite glowing future growth forecasts, its P/S is much lower than we'd expect. When we see strong growth forecasts like this, we can only assume potential risks are what might be placing significant pressure on the P/S ratio. At least price risks look to be very low, but investors seem to think future revenues could see a lot of volatility.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with Rivian Automotive.

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.